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Furthering their education outside of the classroom, a group of seven Alfred State business students were able to expand their knowledge and network with experts in the field Sept. 14-16 at the Financial Planning Association’s Annual Conference in Baltimore.The conference is the largest gathering of Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professionals and financial planning thought leaders, according to the conference’s website, http://fpa-be.org/. The website further states that the attendees, speakers, and partners are among the “most innovative folks in the industry” who come together to connect and share ideas.Attending from Alfred State were Joseph Henderson, of Far Rockaway; Jerome Hart, of Wellsville; Jason Moore, of Fairport; Denton Cassels, of Bronx; Valerie Wallace, of Rexville; Sierra King, of Clyde; and Alanna Conciardo, of Buffalo. All of the students are financial planning majors except for Hart (business management) and Cassels (business administration).The students had access to more than 30 trainings on financial planning topics and were able to interact with hundreds of financial planners and financial companies from across the nation. They were also able to have formal and informal interviews with many different companies.Scott DuMond, assistant professor in the Business Department, who accompanied the students to Baltimore, said the conference provided students with fantastic exposure to the business world, as well as their future career options.“This conference really opened up their eyes to the many careers that are available to them with a financial planning degree from Alfred State,” he said. “Most FPA members have their CFP certificate, and our financial planning major is a CFP Board-Registered program. This means that our graduates not only obtain their bachelor’s degree, but that they have met the educational requirements necessary to sit for the CFP test, which is a big deal. Each student who attended the FPA Conference was engaged and shared that it was beneficial to them.”Speaking first-hand to the value of the conference to the students, Conciardo said, “These events are so important because they ready students for the times when these professional interactions could make or break a career opportunity. Being prepared and comfortable in situations such as these can set you apart early on in your career when you aren’t expected to be comfortable.”King described the conference as a “wonderful learning and networking opportunity.”“I was surrounded by many professionals who were more than eager to engage with you, and it honestly was an eye-opener for me,” she said. “I feel privileged to have been able to attend the conference. Overall, it was a great experience.”